With You
by Selphie Kinneas 175
Summary: BotW. One-shot. "So then I shall go... and make my way up the mountain." "Then I will go with you." Through failures and hardships, her knight would always go with her.


**A/N: **A one-shot exploring the memory on Safula Hill from Breath of the Wild. This idea was suggested by my lovely patron Sabine! Enjoy :)

This one-shot has recently been made into an audiobook by a reader! I had no hand in its creation, so please show the creator some love. It can be found on the YouTube channel DragonRand100 Audiobook, titled "Archives of Hyrule- Episode 3- Breath of the Wild- With You." They did a beautiful job on it. I hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer:** _The story below contains intellectual properties from Nintendo Co., including, but not limited to, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda franchise, and are in no way owned by myself, nor do I claim ownership of any of the events that directly correlate with previous installments made by Nintendo Co. in the franchise The Legend of Zelda._

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**With You**

_By: __Selphie __Kinneas__ 175_

**.:.**

She hadn't spoken to him in days.

She was embarrassed, but admitting embarrassment would have been far more embarrassing.

Her father had scolded her in front of him. He'd knelt silently behind her and pretended he didn't hear it when it was through. He didn't utter a word about it, for which she was grateful, but she wouldn't dare tell him that, either.

She felt his uneasiness in his lingering eyes, almost begging her to let him in, to let him help. She couldn't... Wouldn't? _Couldn't_.

He had stood protectively by her side at each spring she had prayed to. He stayed, silent, pretending not to hear her desperation, her cries to the deities. He played dumb for her sake, just as he did with the encounter with her father. He knew the princess well enough – mentioning or offering even a helping hand would spike her temper. She felt unworthy, and her knight simply existing stirred those feelings of resentment most days. His so blatant success only seemed to further exacerbate her failure.

Still, no matter how much she tried to turn him away, he was always there. Now, even after her anger had erupted on him more times than she could count, he continued to accompany her. She longed to travel up Safula Hill, simply to watch the sunset. With a smile, he followed her, as he always had, as he always would.

"'Be sure to take the time to soothe your mount... That's the only way it will know how you truly feel.'"

He looked over at her as she pat her horse's neck.

"Your advice was quite helpful – thank you. This little one and I are getting along quite well now."

She smiled in his direction, but he knew she was avoiding a much more serious topic.

"At first, I wasn't sure if I should outfit him with _all_ of the royal gear. I thought maybe he should have to earn it first," she scrutinized the elegant stallion before grinning brightly, "But it works! He wears it like a true natural."

She met her knight's knowing stare, attempting to distract herself still with the lighter subject, "I'm trying to be a bit more empathetic. Benefit of the doubt, you know?"

But he saw through it. He always did.

Still, he said nothing. He rarely did.

She knew she couldn't fool him, and she certainly couldn't fool herself. She left her steed at the base of the grand horse statue and dismounted. She approached the fence at the edge of the peninsula, watching over Hyrule as it bathed in the sun's warm light. All seemed so calm up here, as if the end of the world wasn't right around the corner. The wind rustled past, the birds chirped soft and slow as they retreated to their nests, and the horses nickered and grazed just down the hill. All felt safe... quiet... at peace.

Inside she was a maelstrom. Thoughts swirled and emotions erupted and more than anything she wanted to scream. But she didn't. She never did, no matter how much she wanted to. She simply stood and gazed out across what would one day be her kingdom. She longed to prove her father wrong, to be the heir to a throne of something grander than it had ever been.

But the bridge she had to cross to get there seemed impossible to pass.

She felt her knight behind her, reminding her that she was never truly alone. Despite pretending like she wanted to be, she secretly was thankful for his steadfast company. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he would always be there when she needed him.

"See that mountain?"

Her voice cut through the silence heavy on the air after what felt like decades. He took a few strides toward her.

"That's Mt. Lanayru," her voice was small, the wind nearly carrying it away, "It takes its name from the Goddess of Wisdom."

He listened intently, but he already knew what she was going to say.

"Lanayru's decree is very specific. It says: '_No one is allowed, under the age of seventeen... For only the wise are permitted a place upon the mountain_.'"

She paused, her heart beating hard in her vulnerability.

"I've prayed at the Spring of Courage and at the Spring of Power, yet neither awoke anything inside me."

Her voice cracked, her gaze lowering to the shimmering stones at her feet. She heard her knight take a step closer, and she continued before he could say anything.

"But maybe up there... Perhaps the Spring of Wisdom, the final of the three, will be the one."

It was silent again. The princess felt his protective stare on the back of her head, it bore through her like fire. She felt... _embarrassed_ at her optimism; it made her seem naïve.

"To be honest, I have no real reason to think that will be the case. But there's always the chance that the next moment will change everything."

She stood in quiet speculation. She always offered him the space to speak, but he never took it. He felt, most times, that it would be out of place. As for the other times... she had shown quick distaste for his inserted opinion. After all, what did he know? She had struggled all her life to assume her destiny, while his was thrust upon him so easily. He could not comprehend her suffering, her desire to do good only to come up short time and time again. She tried so hard to be all the great things she was meant to be. He was simply... great all on his own.

It infuriated her.

She wanted nothing more than to prove everyone wrong. This last spring had to be the key.

"Tomorrow... is my seventeenth birthday."

She turned to him with utter defeat in her eyes. She had tried so hard to appear strong, to appear confident in this final endeavor. This time, however, her true feelings shone through.

"So then I shall go... and make my way up the mountain."

She stared at him. He returned the gesture, but did nothing more.

"Will you say something?" her eyes pleaded with him, "Anything?"

He took one step closer and hung his head in respect, "If the princess would allow it."

She sighed, "Enough with that. You know you can speak freely."

Her knight stood up straight and met her gaze with confidence, "I am not convinced praying is the solution."

"Then what would you suggest?" she asked with irritation.

"I'm not sure," he replied honestly, "All I know is what I've seen, and all I've seen is your struggle."

She looked at him with sadness in her eyes, a desperation so deep it was almost buried. She approached him and stood before him.

"All I've been told all my life is that I must pray until the power within me awakens. I know nothing different."

He simply looked at her and nodded, "Then I will go with you."

"That's it? Even if you think it's pointless?"

"Yes," he answered confidently, "I will always go with you."

She smiled, and he did. The next day, he followed her up that frigid mountain. When the winds threatened to knock them down into the cold snows and when the shallowness of the air threatened to steal the remnants from their lungs, he went with her.

At the top sat the spring, and the goddess watched over it. The princess stepped into the freezing waters without a thought, but her knight saw her shiver. For a while, he was respectful. He stood, his back to her, pretending not to hear her pleas. When the hours continued to roll by and her trembling became so severe she couldn't even bring the prayers to her lips, he cast aside respect and went to her.

He left his effects on the shoreline and removed his tunic. His nerves jolted in objection, but he ignored them. He stood where the water lapped at his ankles and he reached out to her.

"Come out of there, princess. You're freezing."

She sniffled, but he pretended he didn't know she was crying.

"No. I mustn't leave until my power has awoken."

"You will catch hypothermia."

"So I may," she spat in defiance.

"Don't be foolish. Come to me, put on some dry clothing."

"I am not foolish!" she yelled, slamming her fists into the water with a splash, "I cannot return empty-handed! I must awaken my power, whatever it takes!"

"You cannot awaken your power if you are dead."

She turned and looked at him, and he extended his hand just a bit closer. She shivered harder before turning away.

"If you do not come out on your own, I will get you myself."

She huffed, the brightest cloud of air escaping her lips, "You would not."

He tossed his tunic back on land to avoid it getting wet, and he stepped deeper into the pool. The water reached his abdomen when he got to the princess, and his strong hand on her arm set her off.

"Unhand me! I have a duty to fulfill and it would be treason for you to intervene!" she shouted in anger, refusing to look at him.

He could still see her blue lips and her icy face – she couldn't hide it from him. She masked the clanking of her teeth well enough, but he still saw it.

He grasped her firmer, "Princess, come-"

"No!" she screamed, "I have no other choice! I must not leave until I have the ability to seal Ganon!"

She faced him now, staring with eyes daring to spill their tears. He looked at her with sad understanding. He let the silence linger a moment, hoping it was enough for her to come to her all-too-wise senses. He lowered his hand, allowing her to feel the freedom to make her own decision, despite knowing he would not let her freeze to death.

She could tell he had something to say, and his discipline in refraining irritated her, "Just say whatever it is you're thinking."

"If the princess would allow-"

"You know you can speak freely."

He swallowed hard, the cold beginning to permeate him just the same, but his stare did not waver.

"I understand your need to assume your destiny, but this is not the way."

"Then what is!" she whimpered, "What is the right way?"

"I don't know," he answered earnestly, "But it isn't this."

"If you don't know then what business do you have to tell me what I am doing is wrong?"

"No deity would demand you kill yourself to earn their trust."

"Ah, and you have met a deity yourself, have you?"

"Princess, enough," he said flatly, grabbing her arm again, "Let's get out of this freezing water."

"No!" she yelled, and when he went to lift her out of the water himself, her hand wound backward like a whip to smack him.

He caught her flailing arm by the wrist before she could strike him and he simply stared at her. She broke down sobbing, dropping her face to her hands with muffled wails.

He sighed. Not in frustration with his charge or a feeling of annoyance in her stubbornness, but in sadness. In her defeated agony, he, too, felt defeated. He had been with her from the very beginning, and had been in her corner just the same. He had wanted nothing more than for her to succeed, for her power to awaken and for her destiny to be realized. Time after time she prayed and she failed. Though, he didn't look at it as_ her_ failing, but rather, Hyrule, the gods, maybe even her father. She had poured her entire life into it, and she beat herself up enough for the lot of them, yet still they all continued to kick her while she was down.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him. He let her cry, and she shivered and quaked violently both from the tears and from the cold.

For a long time he simply held her. He pressed her close into his chest and wished his arms had the power to remove her suffering. He looked up at the statue of the goddess watching over them. She appeared satisfied, and at that the hero's heart ached.

At last, her breathing began to even and she pulled herself away. He kept his eyes on her, but it took her some time to grow the courage to return his gaze.

"We will go down then... and meet with the champions."

He nodded, but said not a word.

She gazed up at him, "I will... take those dry clothes now."

Without a sound, he took her hand and led her back to the shoreline. She trembled as the wind lashed upon her wet skin. He grabbed his tunic, safe and dry, and draped it over her.

"Won't you be cold?" she asked with concern.

He grabbed a hooded cloak from his horse's saddlebag and swung it over his shoulders, "I'll be fine."

She simply stared at him then, and she felt a flurry of things she wasn't sure she had felt before.

After the silence felt long enough, she said, "Then... you will go with me?"

He nodded.

"Even if I fail? If Ganon comes and I cannot seal him..."

"Yes," his reply was ever a confident one, "I will always go with you."

She smiled, and she made her way down the mountain.

He went with her.

He would always go with her.

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_**End.**_

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_A big thank you to the following for helping me get this one-shot out there!_

Big Jake, Lee Glerum, Jared Thomason, Moonfairy, Jacob Peachey, Owen Reilly, Anonymouse, Ivalee, Lotus Eater, Ethan Carney Fesler, Silvia Delgado, Emily Zuber, Sabine, wingdesire, Brandan Saldaña, Eponas, Rob Walters, Yami No Nokutan, Mandelbrot, Jessie, Gabby-J, Claudia, Chloe Rose, Debora, SonadowKokoro100

_You guys are amazing!_


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